Incorporating various foods into your diet provides different vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Consuming fruit of different colors provides various phytonutrients, supplying a wider range of health benefits. Eat the rainbow.
10. Durian
Hailing from southeast Asia, Durian is a large, spiky fruit about the size of a volleyball. The outer layer of skin is thick and stinks like onions. However, the fleshy middle has a sweet, bitter taste, and custard-like texture. It’s rich in potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. It also contains iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper.
9. Pitaya or Dragon Fruit
Pitaya, or dragon fruit, hails from Central and South America, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and southern Mexico. It comes from a vine-like cactus. It’s pomegranate-sized and varies in color from pink or yellow skin to deep red. Its sweet flavor is slightly tart, like a mix of kiwi and pear. It’s high in magnesium, iron, vitamin C, and fiber.
8. Jackfruit
Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world and the national fruit of Bangladesh. Its flavor is mildly sweet. Due to its meat-like texture, it’s used as a meat substitute in some barbecue dishes. Jackfruit is high in vitamin B (unusual for fruit), and vitamin C, and also contains potassium, calcium, flavonoids, and carotenoids.
7. Lychee or Rambutan
Lychee (or litchi) is a native fruit to China, although extensively cultivated in the warm tropical climates of Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Brazil, India, and Bangladesh. This red, ping-pong-sized fruit has hair-like spikes on its skin. Its flavor is described as sweet and floral. It has a very short shelf life. Lychee is high in vitamin C, flavonols, and antioxidants.
6. Kiwano or Horned Melon
Also known as African horned cucumber or jelly melon, Kiwano comes from southern Africa. This orange fruit with spiky skin has a sweet flavor that tastes like a blend of bananas or kiwi and cucumbers. Kiwano is higher in protein than most other fruits. It’s also high in vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, and iron.
5. Persimmon
Persimmons are native to China, northern Indochina, and Northeast India. This bright orange fruit looks similar to tomatoes but has a mild, sweet, and rich taste. The texture is similar to an apricot. They are best eaten when firm and crisp. Persimmons are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and antioxidants.
4. Cherimoya or Custard Apple
It’s believed Cherimoya originated in the Andes valleys of Ecuador and Peru. This strange-looking oval-shaped fruit has a sweet flavor similar to a blend of tropical fruits. Cherimoya has a custard-like texture. It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and magnesium. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, and neuroprotective properties.
3. Golden Berries or Peruvian Groundcherry
Peruvian groundcherry originated in the Andes Mountains. They are also sometimes called Inca berry, poha berry, husk cherry, or cape gooseberry. Slightly smaller than a cherry tomato, this bright, orange-colored fruit has a husk similar to tomatillos. Their sweet, tropical flavor is similar to mango or pineapple. They are high in vitamin C, fiber, vitamin K, iron, and antioxidants.
Read More: 10 Foods to Put You in the Mood for Date Night
2. Feijoa or Pineapple Guava
Feijoa, (or pineapple guava or Acca sellowiana) are native to southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Many describe the taste as similar to guavas and pineapples with a slight strawberry flavor. This green fruit is similar to a small avocado in size. Feijoa is high in fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants.
Read More: Top 10 Healthy Snacks for Busy People
1. Gold Kiwifruit
In 1977, Gold kiwifruit was created in New Zealand after receiving A. chinensis seeds from China. In 1992, a smooth, hairless-skinned variety emerged with yellow flesh and sweet pulp. It’s sweeter than green kiwis but lower in sugar and higher in fiber. Gold kiwis have the highest vitamin C of almost any fruit, three times more than an orange.
Read More: The 15 Best Foods for Your Immune System
